Meet Emily Wessel and Alexa Ludeman…

the talented design team behind Tin Can Knits!

The two British Columbia natives are now based 7,000 km apart – Alexa in Vancouver and Emily in Edinburgh, Scotland. They have produced several books of patterns, often inspired by and named for the beauty of Emily and Alexa’s respective surroundings. As a knitter myself, I am impressed by their clear instructions and elegant designs, and I’m excited to feature them here!

Emily and Alexa have just launched The Simple Collection, a series of free patterns easy enough for beginners but so beautiful, experienced knitters will likely be tempted by them as well. Eight patterns will be published over the next six months. The first two patterns, Wheat – a textured, reversible scarf and Malt – a simple, modern baby blanket, were released last month. With detailed tutorials and handouts designed for knitting teachers, the patterns will include mittens, a hat, socks and two sweaters – all sized “from baby to grandpa.” What a fabulous idea! Emily kindly answered my questions on behalf of Tin Can Knits.

Read on to learn more about the collection and the creative women behind it, then leave a comment and enter to win a free e-book of their recent collection of designs, “Handmade in the UK!”

“Malt” is a simple yet sophisticated baby blanket

What was the inspiration behind The Simple Collection?

There are many ways to learn to knit. Some people learn from family members, others take a class, and Alexa (the odd duck) taught herself to knit from a book. We wanted to create a set of beginner patterns and tutorials that would be accessible to as many knitters (and knitting instructors) as possible. Both Alexa and I teach knitting, and we are always on the lookout for patterns to recommend our beginners and tutorials to direct them to when they get stuck without us. The Simple Collection is intended to fill this need in a comprehensive manner, with high-quality patterns sized from baby to big!

Tell me about your partnership, living 7,000 km apart. How do you make it work?

Alexa and I met while working at our local yarn shop, but we didn’t start Tin Can Knits until after I moved home to Vancouver Island. Soon after that I moved to Edinburgh, putting an ocean between us! We have always worked over the phone, Skype or via email, so by now this seems normal. The only real killer is the time difference; there are often early morning/late night meetings.

As well as being business partners, we are great friends, so we miss each other, but we chat once or twice a week, and it’s not all business! Seriously, though, working in partnership, especially as designers, entrepreneurs, and as women with families, is amazingly beneficial. We support and encourage each other, believe in each other, pull each other up when we are down, and our design work is much better for the collaboration. Every businesswoman and designer has moments of doubt, and it is amazing to have a supportive partner to buoy up your spirits during those moments, and a partner to consult when making big decisions. After working with Alexa for three years, I genuinely wouldn’t want to be doing it on my own!

“Antler” – a cable yoke cardigan inspired by the elk of the Canadian Rockies

We wouldn’t be in business if it weren’t for knitters!
We love knitting and design and we have been able to make it a career because of the wonderful knitting community that embraces our work.”

“Gramps” – an old-man style sweater for a tiny person

The instructions with your patterns are wonderful. Some of your additional pattern support goes right into details like how to weave in loose ends – the kind of thing experienced knitters take for granted, but can stump a beginner. Do you usually keep beginners in mind when designing all your patterns, and why is that?

Before The Simple Collection, our patterns had been largely created for those who already know how to knit. They have really been written assuming a knowledge of knit and purl and often include instructions like ‘knit in pattern as established.’

With the Simple Collection we wanted to create a set of patterns and tutorials that took nothing for granted: to really educate beginners so they would be ready to tackle our slightly more complex patterns like the Antler cardigan, the Raindrops pullover or Gramps. At its core, knitting is a very simple craft, but there are a wide variety of skills and techniques you collect as you gain experience. The Simple Collection is a set of very clear patterns and tutorials which guide knitters as they gain the basic skills so they can progress to more complex patterns.

Most of your patterns can be made for any size from newborn to large adult. It must be difficult to design a pattern in such a wide range of sizes!

“Campfire” can be made large or tiny

I saw a hat pattern the other day and it had one size and I thought ‘that must be nice.’ It seems that since we decided to size all of our garments and accessories in a wide range that it’s the natural way to do it. Why wouldn’t a little munchkin look just as good in a sweater as her mama does? While it is a bit more work we believe it’s well worth our time and effort, and it makes our designs more valuable to our customers. Nothing is cuter than a little baby and a big man in matching sweaters!

Where does the design process for a garment or accessory begin? Where does your inspiration come from?

Inspiration can come from anywhere! It’s a terrible cliché, but Alexa and I often joke that we have our best ideas in the shower. Sometimes we get emails from each other that start with ‘I just got out of the shower and….’ you know it’s going to be a crazy design or a big idea like ‘let’s size everything from newborn to 4XL!’ Alexa has her babies to inspire cute garments for little ones, and I often am inspired to design because I am seeking the perfect addition to my wardrobe. We are also inspired by the beauty of our surroundings. Pacific Knits was about our love of the ocean, forest and urban hipster vibe of Canada’s west coast, and Handmade in the UK is an aesthetic response to the beauty and awe I find in the historic urbanity and pastoral landscapes of the little island nation I now call home.

“Low Tide,” a sand and sea-inspired design from the Pacific Knits collection

You describe The Simple Collection as “a way to give back to the knitting community that has been generous and supportive,” could you elaborate on that?

We wouldn’t be in business if it weren’t for knitters! We love knitting and design and we have been able to make it a career because of the wonderful knitting community that embraces our work. From the shops that carry our books to the many knit-alongs and forums on Ravelry, we are thankful that knitters enjoy our designs and support us by buying our books and sharing our work with others. Because the knitting community has supported our work so generously, we want to give back! We are offering the Simple Collection for free so that knitters (new and less-new alike) and knitting teachers can use it as a resource.

“Estuary” from the book Handmade in the UK

When you get some free time away from designing, knitting and producing your books and patterns, what other things do you enjoy doing?

Alexa knits a lot in her (small amount of) free time, while with running after 2 1/2 year old daughter Hunter and 9 month old son Jones, and watching her hubby coach ultimate Frisbee.

My husband and I go cycling around Edinburgh on Saturday mornings, and we enjoy movie nights and going on picnics or hanging out in the pub on rainy evenings.

What’s coming up next for Tin Can Knits?

We have several (super-secret) plans for upcoming books and projects, but right now we are focusing on the Simple Collection, and on providing great support for our existing catalog of books and patterns. We will be exhibiting at KnitCity in Vancouver (October 26-27, 2013), and I hope to be back in Canada to visit at that time! I am also in the early planning stages for a teaching and book signing tour up the west coast of the US in October 2013, which is very exciting!

Thanks, Emily and Alexa, for this interview and for producing such wonderful designs!

Are you a knitter already, or is this the year you’ll learn to knit? Which design is your favourite? Leave a comment below to enter the draw to win your own Handmade in the UK e-book!

The giveaway will close at midnight, July 10. One winner, by random draw, will receive an e-book from Tin Can Knits. Good luck!

85 Responses to “How Tin Can Knits can help you learn to knit… free!”

The Low Tide – is such a pretty pattern, I would love to knit that leaveless gardigan!
I found your lovely blog from SITS Saturday Sharefest – and am subscribing your newsletter for not to miss any of the lovely inspiration!
Nina @Thoughts and Images Along the WayNina recently posted..Mindful Mornings

Hi – I am drawn to the baby blanket, Malt – probably because first) I am a beg/inter knitter 2) due to needing a baby gift for a shower. I am so happy I fell upon your site – best of luck to you to in the future and fingers crossed for the contest!

I like the Tin Can Knits Pop Blanket Pattern but what I love most are the many variations of technique that are suggested with the pattern. Not every knitter knits the same way and different methods are useful to find what works best.

Ooh! So excited to read the interview. I adore the design aesthetic. I think that Winding Way socks in particular are calling my name. Raindrops is also calling to me. I recently helped a friend finish up two Gramps cardis (for twins) when her wrists started flaring up. I have referred new knitters to the Simple Collection for info and inspiration. Thank you for the interview, Kate.

I am an intermediate knitter and LOVE tin can knits designs. I just taught my mom to knit and the patterns in the simple collection will be a helpful and fresh inspiration in the process of helping her learn… since I want to knit them too (definately NOT just for beginners)!! Thanks for the contest! -ariesandewe on Ravelry

Looking in the book, the vivid pattern would be perfect for a keepsake afghan. My cousin is loaning my daughter her wedding dress with the request to make keepsakes for the two of them after the wedding.

I’ve been knitting for a few years and I love Tin Can Knits. I’m nearly finished with a LowTide Cardigan which I can’t wait to wear and I think it’s my favorite, but I’ve a lot more Tin Can Knits in my queue. More please!

I am absolutely torn as to which is my favorite. I totally would knit Lowtide for myself, as well as for several friends, but campfire would be beautiful for my my boyfriend, as well as for a good friend of mine and his son…who are totally coming to visit me at the campground I live at (which is where we met as kids)…the day of the drawing, 14 years since the last time we saw each other.

I love all of their patterns and my favorite changes. Now that it’s summer, Low Tide is hte one, but when cooler weather happens, it’ll be Snowflake. Or Antler. Or Thistle. Or whatever pattern they next put out. Thanks for this giveaway and a very interesting interview and I really hope I win!

Love everything about TinCan! I’m particularly drawn to Windswept right now, and Antler is in my queue waiting for the right yarn! The range of sizes for which the patterns are written makes them so versatile!

Honestly, I love everything about your website, so hard to choose just one! Thank you for your collaboration of bringing knitting to the forefront of everyone’s mind. It is not a lost art and infact I see more and more women (and men) getting involved each day. Thanks for your inspiration

I’d love to win a copy of this book I wouldn’t need to spend any more time on Ravelry cause I’d have far too much knitting to enjoy! Can’t decide on a single pattern but I do keep coming back to antler.
Thanks
Joyo on ravelry

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